Rapper Ja Rule has joined the cast of "Assault on Precinct 13," Focus Features' remake of the 1976 John Carpenter film. Ethan Hawke and Laurence Fishburne topline the pic, which is being directed by Jean-Francois Richet and produced by Stephane Sperry's Liaisons Films and Outlaw Pictures' Jeffrey Silver.

The redo, written by James DeMonaco, is set in the present day. On New Year's Eve, a notorious mobster (Fishburne) is temporarily incarcerated at Precinct 13, a soon-to-close police station. As a rogue gang tries to free him, a cop (Hawke) must command a crew of policemen and prisoners to defend the station.

Ja Rule plays Smiley, a small-time crook whose latest crime lands him in transport with the mobster, and he becomes trapped in the precinct when the assault begins.

Gabriel Byrne, Brian Dennehy, Maria Bello, John Leguizamo and Drea De Matteo round out the cast.

Why Not's Pascal Caucheteux developed the project and is co-producing. Amy Kaufman and Elizabeth Dreyer are overseeing for Focus. The project will begin shooting this month.

Ja Rule's credits include "The Fast and the Furious," "Half Past Dead," "Scary Movie 3" and the upcoming "The Cookout." He is repped by UTA.